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Old MM

Old MM

Conductor
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So... how's that 6 hour bus ride from LAX? anyone?

I must be crazy even thinking about this... but I also don't get the logic of the middle of the night transfer in Kingman, AZ.
 
The remaining ground options from L.A. to Vegas all bite. Until direct rail service is restored (Desert Wind diehards drool here), flying out of BUR is the only civilized way.
 
Michigan Mom said:
So... how's that 6 hour bus ride from LAX? anyone?

I must be crazy even thinking about this... but I also don't get the logic of the middle of the night transfer in Kingman, AZ.
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Aloha
I did the Vegas bus ride October a year ago. One advantage with someone else driving I could take pictures. The bus was not crowded and we had a decent driver. Also in both directions the bus stopped for a meal in Barstow, their are a wide varity of food choices.

Hessjm has used the Kingman van, when he sees this he may have comments about that option.
 
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Personally, I like the Kingman van option because it seems like it would be more comfortable.

Also, since Vegas is so much better at night (cooler temps and more going on), the van makes it possible to acclimate to a night owl schedule.

Plus, it makes the trip shorter. Going all the way to LAX means backtracking and losing most of a day. I'd rather spend three hours in a van and get there twelve hours sooner than ride all the way to LA and get on a bus.

Then again, Brent and I are late-night people, so I can understand how it might be hard for others to stay up until 3:00 AM. Personally, that's much easier for us than getting up at 7:00 AM to detrain in L.A.
 
The only possible upside to taking the 6 hour long bus ride from LA to Vegas is that most likely they will stop for a meal break at the rather-famous railroad themed McDonald's in Barstow. Whenever I have been there, saw lots of buses stopping there.

barstow-mcd.jpg
 
We took the Megabus bus the other way...LV to LAX, for just 17 bux for us both and it was a nice ride. No scenery, though, worth mentioning, IMHO.
 
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In 2002, which admittedly was quite a while ago I took the Thruway Greyhpund Las Vegas to LA Union Station. It was crowded, did stop on Barstow for a bite, but was efficient and the driver was good. Finding the proper bus to Santa Monica was a bit of a challenge v
 
I loved the ride out to Vegas and back on the Amtrak/Greyhound bus! Great wide open views across the desert. For me, flying over such a short distance is just needlessly adding to global warming and the greenhouse effect. 2 Drifters will see more detail of the world in which they live from ground level than 35,000 feet above it! :)

Ed :cool:
 
I took the van from Kingman to Vegas. The train was a couple of hours late. There were two vans waiting at Kingman and the one I was in was packed and not very comfortable, being shoulder-to-shoulder for the 3 hour ride. It was October, which explains why the van was crowded. The upside was the gorgeous view coming into Las Vegas with all the lights shining.

As Whooz mentioned above, the Desert Wind was the way to get there back in the day. It went right to the Union Plaza Hotel. Maybe they discontinued it because they lost too many LAX-bound pax to the slots in the hotel, as there was an announcement that the train would leave without them, regardless of how much they were winning.
 
Everydaymatters said:
I took the van from Kingman to Vegas. The train was a couple of hours late. There were two vans waiting at Kingman and the one I was in was packed and not very comfortable, being shoulder-to-shoulder for the 3 hour ride. It was October, which explains why the van was crowded. The upside was the gorgeous view coming into Las Vegas with all the lights shining.

As Whooz mentioned above, the Desert Wind was the way to get there back in the day. It went right to the Union Plaza Hotel. Maybe they discontinued it because they lost too many LAX-bound pax to the slots in the hotel, as there was an announcement that the train would leave without them, regardless of how much they were winning.
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I took the Desert Wind from DEN to Las Vegas sometime in the mid-90's, the last time I've actually been to Vegas (besides just passing through). The station was right in the Union Plaza Hotel as mentioned; it would arrive in the early morning & I recall being able to check into my hotel that early (can't recall if I stayed at UPH or somewhere else). I believe the next day I took the Thruway bus to Bakersfield (CA) then the San Joaquin to Martinez (I was making a visit to home).

On that note, 'they've' talked for years about restoring LA to Vegas train service -- where are they with that?? Would it have to be a state-supported deal? I would think that it would do reasonably well since you'd avoid the airports & flying hassle, yet wouldn't have to do that drive. I don't think the DW was discontinued due to those reasons (but it's funny!), rather economics :-(. I did hear of one proposal (when it was still running) to split the DW off in Denver (as the Pioneer was doing) and run it along the Wyoming Overland route to Ogden, then south to SLC, Vegas, and LA. Would have provided a likelier faster time to SLC & maybe Vegas as well. Wishful thinking . . .
 
caravanman said:
I loved the ride out to Vegas and back on the Amtrak/Greyhound bus! Great wide open views across the desert. For me, flying over such a short distance is just needlessly adding to global warming and the greenhouse effect. 2 Drifters will see more detail of the world in which they live from ground level than 35,000 feet above it! :)

Ed :cool:
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I may be wrong, but I believe Michigan Mom meant she'd be flying from Michigan to Las Vegas (or from Las Vegas to Michigan), not from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. :)

DTW (Detroit) to LAS is a 4.5-hour flight and covers 1749 miles.

I'm probably going to do a similar thing with the Gathering, as it will save me quite a bit of money and time. I'd love to take the train both directions, but it's simply not going to work out.
 
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How I wish that there were more
Than the twenty-four hours in the day
Cause even if there were forty more
I wouldn't sleep a minute away
Oh, there's black jack and poker and the roulette wheel
A fortune won and lost on evry deal
All you needs a strong heart and a nerve of steel
Viva Las Vegas,viva Las Vegas!
 
tomfuller said:
From Grand Rapids or South Bend Indiana, fly on Allegiant to Las Vegas (or Phoenix). Rent a cheap car in LV if you really have to go to Los Angeles.
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Thanks! I'll keep that in mind since I'm close to both cities.

I have no idea where MM is from, so I just used DTW as an example. I seem to recall she's east of me.
 
I've really and truly loved reading everyone's comments on this thread. Vegas is like our Disneyland, no gambling involved but we love seeing the sights, and walking outside in February. :) So I know we'll enjoy it once we get there. The train/bus connection could be an interesting adventure, especially since desert is not something we are used to seeing here in SE Michigan (correct, Sarah) and we'll get a break from the snow.

What gives me pause about the connection in Kingman is the timing. I'm too old, and my kids still too young, to maintain much perspective on the adventure aspect of getting up in the wee hours of the morning to change accomodations. We did that 2 years ago on the EB, with a spirited and positive attitude, and could do so again if absolutely necessary... there's that word, necessary. People might well disagree but I'd rather ride Amtrak all the way to LAX, get up at a decent hour and then try the bus trip back to Nevada. It's not just the 1 am transfer time, it's the 4 am arrival time at LAS. What on earth do you do then? Most hotels that let you check in early probably won't let you check in THAT early, and paying for the previous night seems wasteful.

Anyway.... looking forward to this SWC trip, if we do go.
 
Gamble? It is Vegas after all. Plenty going on to keep entertained.
 
Nothing is as entertaining to me at 4 am as being asleep. But since that's 7 am at home.... well, we'll be up at 5 am and looking for a coffee and 2 orange juices
 
She'll have the kids with her, though.

Edit: Oops, I was addressing the guest. :)
 
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Michigan Mom said:
I've really and truly loved reading everyone's comments on this thread. Vegas is like our Disneyland, no gambling involved but we love seeing the sights, and walking outside in February. :) So I know we'll enjoy it once we get there. The train/bus connection could be an interesting adventure, especially since desert is not something we are used to seeing here in SE Michigan (correct, Sarah) and we'll get a break from the snow.

What gives me pause about the connection in Kingman is the timing. I'm too old, and my kids still too young, to maintain much perspective on the adventure aspect of getting up in the wee hours of the morning to change accomodations. We did that 2 years ago on the EB, with a spirited and positive attitude, and could do so again if absolutely necessary... there's that word, necessary. People might well disagree but I'd rather ride Amtrak all the way to LAX, get up at a decent hour and then try the bus trip back to Nevada. It's not just the 1 am transfer time, it's the 4 am arrival time at LAS. What on earth do you do then? Most hotels that let you check in early probably won't let you check in THAT early, and paying for the previous night seems wasteful.

Anyway.... looking forward to this SWC trip, if we do go.
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I paid for the previous night and yes, it was wasteful. The train/van was late and by the time I got to the hotel it was, can't recall exactly, maybe 5:30 or 6 a.m. With no sleep, the entire first day in Vegas was miserable. My purpose for being there was a mini-family reunion. I saw relatives I hadn't seen in many years and I'm glad I did it, but in hindsight, it probably would have been better going to LAX as you are planning.
 
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